Dubuque, Iowa -- The Wheaton men's soccer team kicked off the new season tonight in Iowa, facing the University of Dubuque for the fourth-consecutive season and fourth-ever matchup in the two programs' histories. The Thunder opened their fall slate in impressive fashion, scoring three goals in the first half and adding a fourth after halftime to secure the win at a final score of 4-1. The result marked Wheaton's largest margin of victory in a season-opening game since 2019.
Wheaton wasted no time in establishing an early lead, with senior striker Luke Vander Kolk quickly applying pressure and recovering the ball after a Spartan free kick. He then buried a shot from just outside the 18 into the bottom left corner of Dubuque's goal less than a minute and a half into the game for the first goal of the 2026 season. This early strike set the tone for the team's offensive performance throughout the rest of the match.
With an early 1-0 lead, Wheaton kept applying pressure to the opposing defense. Less than ten minutes after his first goal, Vander Kolk fired another shot at the opposing keeper that was narrowly deflected off the post, where Cooper Falling (pictured right) was waiting to tap the ball in, giving Wheaton a 2-0 lead. Falling soon collected his second goal of the evening in the 24th minute from an expertly placed corner kick assist by Craig Rusin, bringing Wheaton's lead to three by the end of the first half. 
Wheaton did not let up on the pressure after the break, earning another corner kick less than five minutes into the second half. Rusin swung another well-placed ball toward the goal, where Isaac Lucas (pictured below) was waiting to head it into the bottom of the net, increasing Wheaton's lead to four and giving Rusin his second assist of the evening.
Forced to chase the game, the Spartans proved more aggressive on offense later in the second half as they looked to cut into Wheaton's commanding lead. Dubuque eventually found the back of the net off a free kick, with Jameson Carl scoring his first goal as a Spartan in the 61st minute to bring the score to 4-1.
The Thunder defense held firm as the match progressed, however, with the Illinois side limiting Dubuque to no additional shots on goal and keeping the Spartans from mounting a comeback.
The final box score statistics recognized Wheaton's impressive offensive showing, as the Thunder registered 15 total shot attempts, nine of which were on goal, compared to Dubuque's 10 total shots and four efforts on frame. Lucas and Falling powered the visitors' attack with three and two shots on goal, respectively. The joint team leader in assists last year, Rusin (pictured right) picked up right where he left off in 2025, recording two dimes on corner kick opportunities that resulted in goals for Falling and Lucas. Wheaton earned six corner kicks on the night, compared to Dubuque's four. The Thunder also earned a narrow possession advantage for the game at 53-47%. 
Debutant keeper Luke McGuire played all 90 minutes in goal and helped preserve Wheaton's substantial lead with three saves on the night. The Thunder defense and McGuire limited Dubuque to just four shots on frame and allowed only one goal despite the hosts becoming more aggressive offensively in the second half.
With tonight's 4-1 victory, the Thunder opened the 2026 season with a strong offensive performance and a promising away win. Wheaton will be on the road again this weekend, traveling to Colorado Springs for the Colorado College Tournament, where the squad will face Austin College in a 4:30 PM (MDT) matchup on Friday. The Thunder will then take on the competition's hosts on Saturday in a 7 PM (MDT) fixture.
